The concept of growing mushrooms generally involves mushroom spawn inoculation of blind holes in round wood such as hardwood tree limbs or tree trunks. Typically, blind holes are spaced circumferentially every three-to-four inches and lengthwise approximately every 6-to-12 inches. In order to get the mushroom spawn to rapidly penetrate the sapwood, one drills holes radially since the spore undergo a series of direct cell division that produce elongated filaments faster in the lengthwise direction than the radial direction. Typically, the wood is inoculated with the mushroom spore by inserting spawn in either sawdust or plug form into the blind hole and then sealing the hole, usually with wax, to retain moisture and prevent influx of insects. Once inoculated, the spore begins to undergo cell division. As the spore divides or runs, it forms mycelium filaments which derive their nourishment almost solely from the sapwood. After the mushrooms emerge through the bark, they are periodically harvested.
The process of raising these mushrooms involves five basic steps. The first step is to inoculate the host wood with the spawn. Next, the host wood and spawn are allowed to incubate for a period of time. The next phase is the spawn run where the spore begin to germinate to produce mycelium filaments. In the next stage the mushrooms form (i.e., the fruiting stage). Finally, the mushrooms are harvested. Since the mushroom derives its nourishment from the host wood, it is important that the proper mushroom growing conditions are maintained.